Chris Sutton predicts the opening group stage results of the 2026 World Cup.

BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton has revealed his predictions for the opening group matches of the 2026 World Cup, starting with the opening match between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa. Sutton also provided a framework for predicting which teams will finish in each group and compared them to AI predictions generated with Microsoft Copilot Chat, a tool the BBC has been trialling for these predictions. The AI, which finished first in last season's BBC Premier League Predictions League, has been asked to 'predict the outcome of the opening World Cup group stage', challenging the opinions of human experts and engaging readers in the BBC's new prediction game where they can choose to win, lose or draw across all competitions. Group A - Sutton's pre-tournament favorites: South Korea (group champion) and Mexico (runner-up). Czech Republic 3rd and South Africa 4th. - Mexico City / Thursday, 11 June / 20:00 BST - Analysis: Sutton said he was at the Azteca stadium and thinks Mexico doesn't have many players from Europe's top leagues. Makes the game's offensive performance look ordinary. Hopes rest on Raul Jimenez, who recently returned to Wolves, but Sutton sees the age of 35 as being different for the South African side, with many playing in domestic leagues as well. Make this match close But the home advantage will help Mexico. - Sutton Prediction: 1-0 - AI Prediction: 2-0 Group B - Sutton's pre-tournament favorites: Switzerland (champion) and Canada (runner-up). Bosnia-Herzegovina 3rd and Qatar 4th. - Toronto / Friday, June 12 / 8:00 p.m. - Analysis: Sutton points out Edin Dzeko is still Bosnia's striker despite being 40 years old and the team's defensive focus. Canada isn't a team that scores a lot of goals but plays with intensity under Jesse Marsh. It's good to have Alistair Johnston back from injury, while Mois Bombito could miss out if he's not fit. This would be a significant loss for Canada. - Sutton Prediction: 1-1 - AI Prediction: 1-1 Group C - Sutton's pre-tournament favorites: Brazil (champion) and Scotland (runner-up). Morocco 3rd and Haiti 4th. - New York / Saturday, June 13 / 11:00 p.m. - Analysis: Even though Brazil finished 5th in the South America play-offs, when Carlo Ancelotti took over, the team improved. and has top-notch players Sutton talks about possibly having Igor Thiago start as striker But the defense is strong with Gabriel and Marquinhos. Morocco also has Achraf Hakimi as a highlight. It will be a tough game for Brazil but Ancelotti's team will always find a way to win. - Sutton Prediction: 2-1 - AI Prediction: 2-1 Group D - Sutton's pre-tournament favorites: Türkiye (champion) and Paraguay (runner-up). USA 3rd and Australia 4th. - Los Angeles / Saturday, June 13 / 2:00 AM - Analysis: Sutton sees this group as difficult for the US. Every team has a chance to pass. He credited Paraguay with a good defensive record in the South American qualifiers, allowing the United States to potentially start with a draw. - Sutton Prediction: 1-1 - AI Prediction: 2-1 Group E - Sutton's pre-tournament favorites: Germany (champion) and Ecuador (runner-up). Ivory Coast 3rd and Curacao 4th. - Houston / Sunday, June 14 / 6:00 p.m. - Analysis: Curacao are the smallest nation in history to qualify for the World Cup and having Dick Adovocat at the helm is a story to watch. He will be the oldest in World Cup history. Sutton said Germany's expectations were lower than usual. But they should still make it to the knockout stages and likely win their opening game. - Sutton Prediction: 3-0 - AI Prediction: 3-0 Group F - Sutton's pre-tournament favorites: Japan (champion) and Netherlands (runner-up). Tunisia 3rd and Sweden 4th. - Dallas / Sunday, June 14 / 9:00 p.m. - Analysis: Sutton says he was popular in Japan when he made a correct prediction in a previous tournament. Japan has technically good players and is scary to their opponents. So he chose to cheer for Japan to defeat the Dutch. Although the Netherlands looked strong at the back, they were not very reliable in attack. - Sutton Prediction: 1-2 (Japan wins) - AI Prediction: 2-1 Group G - Sutton's pre-tournament favorites: Belgium (champion) and Egypt (runner-up). New Zealand 3rd and Iran 4th. - Seattle / Monday, June 15 / 8:00 p.m. - Analysis: Sutton feels Belgium is starting to lose its strength. Even though there are still good players But the view of teamwork has decreased. This game should be tight because Egypt plays well on the counter. And the outcome depends on Mohamed Salah's form after a disappointing season with Liverpool. - Sutton Prediction: 1-1 - AI Prediction: 2-1 Group H - Sutton's pre-tournament favorites: Spain (champion) and Uruguay (runner-up). Saudi Arabia 3rd and Cape Verde 4th. - Atlanta / Monday, June 15 / 17:00 - Analysis: Cape Verde made it through the qualifying round with an aggressive, ball-dominant style of play. But Sutton thinks that style will be difficult against Spain. He is concerned about Rodri's level of form after an injury-plagued season. But Spain is still seen as one of the teams with a high chance of entering the tournament. - Sutton Prediction: 3-1 - AI Prediction: 3-0 Group I - Sutton's pre-tournament favorites: Senegal (champion) and France (runner-up). Norway 3rd and Iraq 4th. - New York / Tuesday, June 16 / 8:00 p.m. - Analysis: France has the potential to be champions, but manager Didier Deschamps doesn't always play at his best. If France opens up the game more it could be a fun match because Senegal have a formidable attacking game. Sutton expects it to be a trade game. - Sutton Prediction: 3-3 - AI Prediction: 2-0 Group J - Sutton's pre-tournament favorites: Argentina (champion) and Austria (runner-up). Algeria 3rd and Jordan 4th. - Kansas City / Wednesday, June 17 / 2:00 - Analysis: This will be Lionel Messi's sixth World Cup at age 38. Sutton questions Messi's current level of form and how much of an impact he still has on the game. But overall Argentina still have enough players and should start with a win. Even though it's uncertain - Sutton Prediction: 2-1 - AI Prediction: 2-0 Group K - Sutton's pre-tournament favorites: Colombia (champion) and Portugal (runner-up). Democratic Republic of the Congo 3rd and Uzbekistan 4th. - Houston / Wednesday, June 17 / 6:00 p.m. - Analysis: Sutton looks forward to watching DR Congo play with many quality players But it is thought that clashing with technical Portuguese midfielders like Joao Neves and Vitinha, as well as Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, could cause problems for the African team. - Sutton Prediction: 2-1 - AI Prediction: 3-1 Group L - Sutton's pre-tournament favorites: England (champion) and Ghana (runner-up). Croatia 3rd and Panama 4th. - Dallas / Wednesday, June 17 / 9:00 p.m. - Analysis: Sutton concerned about England's defence. But they believe they have a chance to win the title because of their strong midfield, especially Elliott Anderson and Declan Rice. Croatia are an aging team and may not be able to withstand the heat. - Sutton Prediction: 2-0 - AI Prediction: 2-1 Group M - Sutton's pre-tournament favorites: Ghana (champion) and Panama (runner-up). Croatia 3rd and England 4th. - Toronto / Thursday, June 18 / 00:00 - Analysis: Panama is a relatively old and uninspiring team. Meanwhile, Ghana have forwards who could be a difference maker, such as Antoine Semenyo. - Sutton Prediction: 2-1 - AI Prediction: 2-0 Note: All results and scores above are Chris Sutton's predictions and AI predictions as reported by the BBC only. Viewers can join in making their predictions through BBC's new guessing game for the tournament.